8 Days and 7 Nights in Okinawa (6)

We bought a flight + hotel package for this trip to Okinawa and stayed at OMO5 by Hoshino Resorts, which is just a few minutes' walk from Kokusai Dori. We rented a car for 5 days and spent a day shopping on Kokusai Dori and experiencing Japanese izakaya culture. Kokusai Dori is the busiest commercial street in Naha. After the Battle of Okinawa in 1944, the US military occupied the Ryukyu Islands and built the Ernie Pyle International Theater on this street. The area gradually prospered, and the street was named Kokusai Dori after the theater. Locals came here to do business, and it became a must-visit shopping street for tourists. In addition to local specialties, there are many drugstores and restaurants popular with Chinese tourists, such as Ichiran Ramen, Nanpu Ramen, yakiniku restaurants, steakhouses, yatai, and izakayas. Izakayas in Japan are places for office workers to chat and relax. They mainly drink alcohol, unlike us, who come just for the food. Here, office workers chat and laugh without restraint, unlike their disciplined and reserved selves during the day. It feels like a release. The small restaurant was as noisy as a Chinese restaurant, and we were the odd ones out, not drinking alcohol and just waiting for food. We finished each dish soon after it was served. It took us 2 hours to finish the meal, and we were exhausted. Our flight was at noon the next day. We took the train to the airport and had a popular Okinawan rice ball. We arrived early, so we didn't have to wait in line. We ate rice balls, drank coffee, and watched planes, ending our trip perfectly!